Days in December
by Toffrox33
Summary: Things that remind us of Christmas. A series of romance one-shots set over the Yuletide season! Written for a Christmas challenge at HPFC. No slash!
1. Winter

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter!**

25 Days of December

_By Toffrox33_

**Chapter One- Winter  
****Pairing: James/Lily**

_1__st__ December 1977_

The hazy, grayish light seeped through the crack in the thick scarlet curtains, illuminating a thin white strip over James's face. He was dreaming of quidditch; of winning this years house cup. The sun was shining above them as the Gryffindor team soared in long arcs around the pitch for their victory lap.

Then the thin strip of light widened suddenly as James's best friend, Sirius, pushed the curtains around James's bed open. James gasped and his eyes snapped open.

"Did we win?" He mumbled wildly, staring around him with unfocused eyes. Sirius rolled his eyes.

"No, idiot! It's December. Stop dreaming about quidditch." He said, leaning casually against the corner of James's bed. James frowned to himself and rubbed his eyes. He reached for his glasses and put them on, before sitting up and running a hand through his tangled, hopelessly messy, morning hair.

"Urgh. December." He groaned sleepily, squinting up at Sirius, his eyes still not adjusted to the wintery light that spilled in through the dormitory window. "Why are you waking me up, anyway?" He asked, confused. "Are we late for something?"

"Nope. It's Sunday!" Sirius said cheerfully. "I was just up early and got bored." James glowered up at his best friend.

"Sometimes I wonder why we're friends." He muttered, climbing out of bed and shivering at the cold.

"Aw, you're just saying that 'coz you're all cranky from being up early." Sirius teased, his eyes bright with laughter. James sighed and grabbed his dressing gown.

"And whose fault is that?"

Sirius grinned mischievously. "Well, I'd say its Moony and Wormtail's fault! They're the ones who sleep like the dead! Or maybe it's your fault for being a light sleeper." He laughed to himself. "I dunno, either way, you're the easiest one to wake up so…" He trailed off as James went into the bathroom.

James sighed. He hated winter; always had done. His friends thought he was crazy. _"What's wrong with winter?"_ Sirius had asked back in first year when James had first mentioned it. _"Don't you like the snow, and sitting in front of the fire with hot chocolate? Not to mention christmas!" _James shivered. In his opinion, Christmas day was the only good thing about winter. Hot chocolate in front of the fire? He could do that any evening! Snow? Well what's so great about getting soaking wet every time you step outside. Snow was just pretty rain, the way James saw it.

Winter was cold and wet. And although James loved occasional snowball fights or a cup of hot chocolate to warm him up if he needed it, James was absolutely convinced that the world would be better off without the blasted season.

He finished up in the bathroom, quickly dressed in several layers of clothing and smiled grimly at Sirius as they made their way downstairs.

Sirius laughed at James's scowl when they saw the magic snow falling from the ceiling in the Great Hall.

"Prongs, you've gotta get over your hate of winter. You waste a whole quarter of the year complaining about the season. Why don't you just enjoy it. It's Christmastime now! Look! They even have the good old charmed mistletoe!" Sirius smiled fondly at the plants hanging innocently above the doorway. James rolled his eyes and carefully avoided walking anywhere near it.

"Whatever, Padfoot."

"Is there anything in the universe that could convince you that winter isn't really that bad?" Sirius asked. James grinned.

"Nope. Nothing." He said firmly.

And that's where he was wrong.

_~-1-~_

That afternoon, James was sitting in the common room, reading, while his friends went for a walk in the grounds. He was just finishing up a chapter, when Lily Evans entered the room. He glanced up and grinned. He and Lily had become friends since the start of the year, when James realized that in order to win Lily over he'd have to stop acting like a prat.

"Hi Lily." He said, suddenly aware that they were the only two people in the room.

"Hello James." Lily said brightly.

"You're happy." He noted. Lily grinned.

"Yes. I _love_ winter!" She said happily, beaming up at the snow covered windows. James frowned.

"Really? I never liked it. Too cold." He shivered to prove his point, then closed his book and set it aside. Lily gave him an odd look.

"Strange. I always saw you as the sort of person who'd enjoy the cold." She said thoughtfully. James snorted.

"What's to like about the cold? There's a reason you feel it when dementors are around- it's not good." He looked up at Lily seriously. She frowned and sat down beside him.

"Well, I suppose if you're gonna look at it _that_ way." She said, meeting his gaze.

"What other way is there to look at it?" James asked.

"Well, I always loved the cold. Because, if it's cold, you get to do loads of special stuff to warm you up! Like hot chocolate!" Lily said, her bright green eyes sparkling happily.

"Hot chocolate isn't just for winter." James said.

"No, but it's more special in winter! It's like a warm bath or snuggling up by the fire. You can do it in summer aswell, but it doesn't make you feel as good as it does in winter."

"So… you're saying that the good thing about the cold, is the stuff that warms you up again." James said slowly.

"Exactly."

"But that's not something good about the cold itself." James said. He smiled at Lily's slight frown. "Trust me, Lily, I've been having this argument with almost everyone since I was about six."

"Well what about Christmas?" Lily protested. "You've gotta love Christmas!"

"Sure I do. But winter isn't Christmas." James said.

"Christmas is _in_ winter!" Lily said hopefully. James laughed.

"Lily, you really shouldn't bother! There is nothing in the universe that convince me that winter is good." He said, smiling fondly as Lily frowned thoughtfully to herself, her green eyes trained on his hazel ones. Then, she grinned triumphantly.

"I can think of something." She said smugly. James grinned at the look on her face. She looked up at him with a childish smile, as if she knew something he didn't.

"Try me." James said, equally as smug. Lily grinned.

"Winter is the season that I finally said yes." She announced. James blinked, surprised.

"What?" he asked, his smugness replaced with a puzzled look. Lily stared at him, her wide, mischievous eyes suddenly solemn.

"Ask me out." She said quietly. James's eyes widened, and his eyebrows rose.

"_What?_" He said, startled. Lily leant forward, so that their faces were a few inches apart.

"Ask me out." She repeated. She saw James's eyes go from shock, to disbelief to solemnity that mirrored the look in Lily's eyes.

"Will you go out with me, Lily?" He asked softly, leaning closer to her instinctively.

Lily closed her eyes. "Yes." She breathed, just before their lips met.

Because she was right. She'd won the argument. She'd convinced James Potter that winter really wasn't that bad. Because not only was winter the season of Christmas, and hot chocolate, and snow. It was the season that Lily Evans finally said yes.

And that was the only thing in the universe that could change James's mind.

.

.

**A.N- **_This is the first chapter of twenty-five. There will be one for each day leading up to Christmas. Each one will feature a different pairing and will be about something related to Christmas! :) _

_Written for the '25 Days of Christmas Challenge' over at HPFF Challenges!_

_Hope you enjoy it! And remember to review!_

_Toff.x_


	2. Presents

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter!**

25 Days of December

**Chapter Two- Presents  
****Pairing: Bill/Fleur**

_2__nd__ December 1998_

Fleur sighed and sank slowly onto the blue couch, one hand resting carefully on her stomach. There was a small bump there that was just visible underneath her pale blue jumper that Molly had knitted for her at Christmas last year. She curled up against the soft cushions that covered the couch and stared into the flames that flickered quietly in the fireplace. The burnt orange light washed over the room and made Fleur's silvery hair look strawberry blonde and made her icy blue eyes dance with the reflection of the flames.

He was late.

She knew that the war was over, and she shouldn't be worried. But that didn't stop her from being terrified of staying home alone. Every time she found herself alone in the house she started to remember all the terrible things that had happened in the war. She shivered and reached to her neck where a necklace Bill had bought for her birthday hung. She fingered the pendant and smiled to herself.

Bill always panicked when it came to buying presents. He always thought he'd pick something wrong and offend whoever he was giving it to. He spent ages shopping for presents, worrying that he was going to pick something someone else had got, or something they wouldn't like.

But the funny thing was, Bill was the best present-buyer Fleur knew. And everyone agreed. The whole Weasley family looked forward to opening their present from Bill, because the presents he bought were always perfect.

Fleur looked up from the fireplace as she heard the familiar sound of a patronus gliding into the room. It was Bill's. She looked up at it expectantly.

"Sorry I'm late, love. I'll be home soon, I just wanted to pick up an early Christmas present for Gin since she's going to be in Wales for Christmas." Came the tired sounding voice of Bill. Fleur chuckled to herself. Ginny wasn't leaving for a week and a half. That was another thing… Bill hated getting presents last minute.

She smiled and curled up on the couch again, relaxing in the warm glow of the fire. Bill would be home soon. No more worrying.

_~-2-~_

Bill sent the patronus off and rubbed his eyes distractedly. He hated Christmas shopping. Most of the shops were closing up for the evening, and he still hadn't got anything for Ginny.

He checked his watch. George and Ron would close the shop in about five minutes. He wandered towards it, but didn't really know why he was doing it. He never bought presents from the joke shop; in case he got something George and Ron had already bought. He went anyway; maybe he'd ask George and Ron for advice on what to buy. Then again, they'd probably just laugh at him.

Bill's entire family was under the impression that he was the best present-buyer in the universe. Of course, this just put him under even more pressure to buy a good present. It drove him insane. Especially since he had such a huge family!

He shivered and just as he reached the outside of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes stopped and frowned to himself. Inside, Ron was lounging about the counter, yawning. The shop had just closed. Bill sighed and turned around.

What was he doing? He knew full well Fleur hated being home alone. Most of the shops were closed already. He wasn't going to find Ginny a present tonight. He might aswell go home and get out of the cold… snuggle on the couch with Fleur and the baby.

He smiled at the thought of the baby. Then, he noticed a small trinket shop in front of him. It was open. And in the window was a small mobile for babies. Little shells and seaside things span around slowly. _Shell Cottage_. Bill thought to himself, a grin spreading across his face. It wasn't a present for him… it wasn't even a present for Fleur really… but it was perfect.

Feeling slightly smug, he went into the shop and bought it.

_~-2-~_

He apparated onto the doorstep of Shell Cottage and let himself in quietly, hiding the bag containing the mobile behind his back. But Fleur was curled on the couch, wearing one of Molly's Christmas jumpers. She was fast asleep, her lips curved into a smile, one hand curled around the necklace Bill had bought for her birthday and another resting delicately on her stomach.

Bill smiled and walked to kneel down beside her. The firelight made her silvery hair look strawberry blonde. Bill wondered if that was the hair colour their baby would have. He kissed her forehead, then the hand that rested on her stomach and went upstairs to wrap the present he'd bought.

When he came back downstairs, Fleur was awake, and sitting up on the couch.

"Bill?" She asked sleepily, turning around to look up at him with sleepy blue eyes. He smiled and kissed her.

"Sorry I was late." He told her. She smiled back.

"Zat's ok. Did you get Ginny ze present?" She asked.

"No." Bill said. "I couldn't find anything she'd like." Fleur grinned amusedly. "I did find a perfect gift for us though." He said.

"Oh? What was 'eet?"

"You'll have to wait and see." Bill teased, putting his arms around her. She laughed softly.

"I love you." She told him.

"I love you too." He replied, kissing her.

Fleur smiled… She didn't need the perfect present. She already had it.

.

.

**A.N- **_Chapter Two done! Review please!_

_Toff.x_


	3. Baubles

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter!**

25 Days of December

**Chapter Three- Baubles  
****Pairing: Peter/OC  
**_Note- this OC is from my fic 'No One Messes with a Potter' :)  
Peter is a death eater_

_3__rd__ December 1978_

Jess frowned around the apartment that she and Peter shared. She was home alone and had absolutely no idea where he was. Most girlfriends would be worried had they been in his place, but Jess wasn't. She knew that wherever Peter was, Sirius, James or Remus would be with him. And they were smart enough to avoid running into any death eaters.

She bit her lip. The only problem she had with being home alone was the boredom. She could never find anything to amuse herself, and when she did, she'd start feeling bad for doing something fun when others couldn't join in. She rolled her eyes at herself. Peter was right. She was too nice for her own good.

Jess was a quiet person. She had bright blue eyes, strawberry blond hair and light freckles sprinkled across her pale cheeks. She sighed and went to the bookshelf to see if Peter had bought any new books lately. One of them caught her eye:

'_Household Christmas Charms'_. Hmmm, Jess loved charms! It'd been her favourite subjects at school. She grinned and picked up the book, flicking through it until she found an interesting looking page.

'_Decorate your tree with enchanted baubles - charm lasts up to 25 days! _

That looked fun. She read the page right through, her eyes lighting up as she saw how easy it was. She set the book down and looked up at the plain, muggle decorated christmas tree that she and Peter had put up the day before. Then, she took down everything but the tinsel and packed it away, and sat on the couch, waiting impatiently for Peter to come home so they could make the enchanted baubles together!

_~-3-~_

Peter scurried out of Knockturn Alley, shivering. His skin and clothes felt grimy as they usually did after he spent time with the death eaters. He had tears in his eyes that he tried to wipe away, but each time he did, his eyes just welled up again.

He sniffed. He hated the death eaters. The only reason he'd joined is because Jess had been away for two months with her mother and James, Sirius and Remus had been acting weird. He was tired and confused, with no job and no apartment when Snape had found him stumbling through Diagon Alley. They promised him power and recognition. Yeah right! He didn't get nearly as much recognition with _them_ as he used to get back when James, Sirius and Remus weren't acting weird. He scowled at the ground. Then Jess had returned and Peter realized how stupid he'd been. "Well it's too late now. You're in for good." Snape had said harshly.

That was three months ago and Peter still hadn't told Jess. He shuddered. He needed to tell her. He couldn't go on like this. Maybe if he told her now, and told her how disgusting he felt, she might forgive him one day.

Yes, he'd tell her tonight… He gritted his teeth, squeezed his eyes shut, and apparated to the apartment.

_~-3-~_

There was a crack from outside the door and Peter walked into the flat. Jess grinned brightly as he walked into the living room.

"Hey Pete!" She said cheerily, leaping up from the couch to kiss him. "Look what I found," She said, snatching the charms book off of the table to show him. "I thought we could decorate the tree together. Watch!"

Peter watched in dismay as she waved her wand in a graceful arc and a small stream of pretty pink bubbles came out and hovered. They sparkling, turning shades of pink and purple before solidifying into a bauble and settling into a slow pattern of changing colours. Peter smiled half-heartedly at Jess as she grinned proudly at her enchanted baubles.

How could he tell her now? She was so happy. So much better off without him. It was Christmastime for Merlin's sake! How could he ruin this happiness by just apparating in one evening and bursting her bubble (literally!) by telling her he was practically a bleeding death eater. It would ruin everything. For both of them.

It would destroy her- and that would destroy him.

"Try it! It's really easy." Jess was saying. Peter looked from her kind, happy face to the charms book to the wand he held loosely in one hand.

He could tell her now. Or… he could tell her tomorrow, perhaps if she was in a worse mood. He sighed internally. Who was he kidding? Jess was the happiest person he knew. It could take months for her to be in a suitably bad mood. And even then, Peter wouldn't want to go and make her mood worse by telling her the truth.

He had to tell her.

He looked up at her. She was frowning at him, gazing up at him with innocent, concerned eyes.

"Pete? Are you ok?" She asked, her voice sounding fragile to Peter's ears.

He couldn't tell her. She'd leave him. He'd have no one left. No one to come home to and make enchanted baubles with. He sighed.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Just tired." He said to Jess. Jess bit her lip.

"We can do this tomorrow if you want to sleep." She said uncertainly. Peter smiled at her.

"No. I want to stay up and do this with you." He insisted, putting his arms around her and kissing her forehead. Jess smiled brightly again.

"I love you." She sighed happily. Peter's heart sped up and he smiled vaguely.

"Love you too." He mumbled. She smiled and they took out their wands and began to conjure the little enchanted baubles around the tree. And Peter sat and watched Jess's happiness, thinking that maybe, just maybe, there might come a time when he could be that happy too.

.

.

**A.N- **_Sorry, its not quite so happy as the others. But that's what Peter gets for deserting his friends! _

_;) review please!_

_Toff.x_


	4. Advent

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter!**

25 Days of December

**Chapter Four- Advent  
****Pairing: Percy/Audrey**

_4__th__ December 1998_

Percy finished up the last of his paperwork and sighed happily, ready to go home. He closed the door of his office and locked it casually with his wand before going to the ministry elevators.

Percy used to hate returning home after work. He used to stay overtime, doing unnecessary paperwork or re-sorting through files and drawers in his office. He hated the feeling of dread he got as he flooed home to an empty, unprotected apartment. He hated that there was no one there waiting for him. He hated that that empty, unprotected apartment was the only place he had to go after work. He hadn't been able to cook or clean very well, and he no longer had Molly to call on when he needed help. He was trapped in the apartment, feeling as empty as the rooms he lived in.

Now, however, everything was different. He still lived alone, but only a few blocks away from George and Ron, above the flat. He was able to floo to Shell Cottage, or Charlie's place or the Burrow without feeling pathetic, or worrying that he was intruding.

Returning to his family was the best thing that'd ever happened to him.

Besides, today was special. Today, he wouldn't be returning to an empty apartment at all. His girlfriend, Audrey, was coming round to cook dinner for him.

Percy met Audrey in Diagon Alley a few weeks back. She was clumsy and shy, with curly blond hair and warm brown eyes. She had literally ran into him, sending all of her shopping flying. Percy helped pick it all up and introduced himself to her. She'd been most apologetic and introduced herself with her cheeks flaming. Amused, and slightly intrigued by the woman, Percy asked her if she'd like to join him for coffee and they had only gotten closer from there.

He found out that they didn't really have that much in common, yet he got along with her better than anyone he'd ever met before. She invited him round for dinner at her place when she heard that he was a hopeless cook, which led to her promise that she'd come and cook for him once a week when he finished work.

And tonight was that night. He couldn't wait. He hadn't seen Audrey in almost four days and he longed to talk to her again.

As he reached the fireplaces in the Ministry Atrium, he grinned to himself. He didn't have long to wait.

_~-4-~_

Audrey stood in the kitchen, minding the sauce that simmered in the pot she'd brought along. She checked her watch. He should be home soon.

She loved cooking for Percy. She wasn't quite sure why. She wasn't usually a huge cooking fan. But when it was for him it suddenly became ten times more enjoyable.

She heard the whoosh of the floo from the room next door and beamed, casting a spell over her cooking so that it would mind itself and hurried into the lounge to meet Percy.

His eyes lit up behind his glasses as she appeared in the doorway and walked towards him.

She gently pressed her lips to his, smiling. He put his arms round her and smiled back.

"Hey." He said softly. She grinned in reply.

"I got you a present." She said, almost teasingly.

"Really?" Percy asked innocently, his eyes glowing curiously.

"Yes. Come and see!" She guided him to an almost tapestry-like thing that hung on the wall. "Tah-dah!" Audrey said happily. Percy frowned. It was made of cloth and had twenty-five numbered pockets, each filled with neatly wrapped sweets. Above the pockets was an embroidered picture of a cottage surrounded by snow. Although the… thing, looked muggle, it had obviously been bewitched since the snow on the picture was moving in swirling patterns.

"Um… Audrey… What is it?" He asked uncertainly. Audrey laughed.

"It's an advent calendar!" She said, as if it was obvious.

"Huh?" Percy asked, confused.

"It's a muggle thing, mostly. There are twenty-five pockets, one for each day in December, leading up to Christmas. Advent." She smiled. "Each day, you get one sweet. I know I'm four days late, but we've both been so busy I've barely seen you all week!"

"I know." Percy sighed. "It's been awful." He leant down to kiss her, cradling her face in his hands. She wound her arms around his neck and played with the ends of his hair. She sighed as they broke apart.

"I've missed this." She said breathlessly.

"Me too." Percy caught a stray strand of hair and tucked it behind her ear. "I can't believe we've been so busy that we haven't been able to see each other!"

"I know! I keep thinking 'I'll have time tomorrow', but I never do! The longest I ever have free is about ten minutes tops!" Audrey reached up and ran her hand through Percy's hair. She pouted like a stroppy young child. "I miss you." She complained.

Percy chuckled. It was so amazing that they could become so attatched to one another, despite having only just met a few weeks ago. He planted a kiss on her forehead, just as a beeping started to come from where the dinner was cooking.

"That's my charm." Audrey said, reluctantly removing herself from Percy's arms. "Let's have dinner."

"Let's." Percy agreed.

_~-4-~_

They both ate their meal slowly, chatting idly to one another as they did so. But even so, the meal seemed to pass quickly. Percy cast a charm on the dishes so that they'd wash themselves and the two of them moved to the lounge where they snuggled up together on the couch.

Percy's gaze fell on the advent calendar and he smiled.

"Thanks for the present." He whispered in Audrey's ear. She smiled and kissed his cheek.

"You're welcome." She whispered back.

They sat in content silence for a while, and Percy continued to stare at the advent calendar on the wall until he was hit by sudden inspiration.

"Advent!" He said loudly, startling Audrey so that she almost rolled off the couch.

"What?" She asked, confused. Percy grinned at her and took her hands in his.

"We've both said we need to spend more time together, right?" He asked, his eyes alight with excitement.

"Right.." Audrey said warily.

"But we only have a few minutes to spare every day. So, let's see each other in those few minutes!"

"What? That's crazy! We'll barely be able to do anything but say hello and goodbye!" Audrey said incredulously.

"Wrong." Percy said, still grinning. "We'll have an advent. One kiss, every day of December leading up to Christmas… Or possibly more than one kiss if we have time.." He added, as an afterthought. Audrey laughed, her own eyes lighting up.

"Percy, that's brilliant!" She exclaimed with another laugh. Percy smiled.

"I thought you'd like it."

"I love it. It's perfect." She said, leaning in to kiss him. Percy responded immediately and pulled her closer to him, running his hands through her soft hair as she wound her arms round his neck. They broke apart, gasping and Percy nuzzled her neck, then grinned at her cheekily.

"You know, seeing as it's the fourth… And we've started this advent thing a little late, I think we have a bit of catching up to do. Don't you?" He asked sneakily.

Audrey merely smiled and kissed him in response.

.

.

**A.N- **_To anonymous reviewers: Yes there will be a Remus/Tonks chapter, along with several other canon pairings. _

_Okay, I'm going to start putting up who the next pairing will be. Let's see, next up is… __**Snape/Lily**__! Don't worry though, I would never take Lily away from James.. You'll see!_

_Reviews anyone?_

_Toff.x_


	5. Stockings

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter!**

**A.N- **_Hmmm, I think I should mention that although all 25 of these chapters are set in different timeframes, they are all in the same Universe. So this chapter is set in Lily and Snape's 3__rd__ year. It's not as happy as the first two or the last one, but that's just because, in this Harry Potter Universe, Lily has to end up with James. Just thought I should make that clear before you get confused by my double pairing of Lily! _

25 Days of December

**Chapter Five- Stockings  
****Pairing: Snape/Lily**

_5__th__ December 1973_

Lily was sitting at the kitchen table, with a roll of parchment in front of her surrounded by ink, quills and textbooks. She wanted to get all of her homework finished early on in the holidays. She was about a foot into her first essay, when Petunia came into the room, having just slept in. She looked at Lily's work in distaste before turning away and silently making herself some toast.

Lily rolled her eyes at her sister's extremely obvious silent treatment and continued working. Their mother, however (who was sitting at the table, watching Lily work with interest), wasn't having it.

"Oh, good Morning, Petunia." She brightly. Petunia glowered.

"Morning." She muttered.

"You slept late." Her mother pressed. Petunia shrugged, keeping her eyes trained on the toaster in front of her. Her mother sighed, giving up. Lily smiled sympathetically. She wrote down a few more sentences of her essay before the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it." Lily said, jumping up and heading out the room to the front door. She opened it to find her best friend, Severus, standing there with an old bag slung over one shoulder. "Oh, hey Sev!" She said cheerfully. Sev grinned at her.

"Hi Lily. I thought I'd bring over some of my holiday homework, since I figured you'd be doing it early." He said somewhat shyly. Lily beamed at him.

"Actually I was doing my potions essay now! I was going to ask you for some help; you're great at potions." She said, letting him in. Sev laughed.

"You're ten times better at it than I am." He told her. Lily blushed.

"Maybe." She said modestly. "My work is in the kitchen." She led him to the kitchen but paused at the doorway when she saw that her mother was no longer sitting in there. Petunia was sitting at the table in a dressing gown, glaring at Lily and Sev. "…Um, maybe we should move to the sitting room." She suggested feebly.

"No, don't worry, we'll be fine here!" Sev insisted, narrowing his eyes at Petunia. Lily bit her lip.

"No, no. I really think the sitting room would be better." She said, gathering up her things and leading Sev into the sitting room. Sev followed reluctantly, scowling at Petunia as he did so.

Sev had never been in the Evans's sitting room during the Christmas holidays. He blinked at the muggle decorations that hung around the room, on the Christmas tree and around the fireplace. Lily laughed at his expression.

"Sorry about all the tinsel. Our family goes a little bit overboard at Christmastime." She said, setting her homework down on the table. Sev smiled at her and went to the fireplace to look closer at the Christmas ornaments that sat there. He frowned as his gaze fell on two huge, fluffy, red socks that hung from hooks on either side of the fire. They were both quite old and tatty looking. One had the name "LILY" embroidered across it, and the other read "PETUNIA".

"Um, Lily. Why do you have giant socks as decorations?" He asked uncertainly, looking slightly disturbed. Lily laughed.

"They're stockings!" She explained. Sev turned to frown questioningly at her. "Don't witches and wizards have them?" She asked. Sev shook his head. "Oh. Well, kids put them up before Christmas and then on Christmas Eve 'Santa' comes and puts presents in them for you."

"Santa?"

"Oh. He's a character that muggles tell their children about. He comes around every Christmas and gives you presents- but only if you've been very good. He's not real though. Parents put the presents there, really." Lily grinned. "It's kind of silly, really."

"That's odd." Sev agreed. He looked at the stockings and frowned. "What sort of presents do you get?"

"Oh, just little things in the stockings. You know, jewelry, pens, notepads. Me and Petunia normally get girly things in the stockings." Lily smiled as Sev frowned to himself.

"Anyway… do you want to get on with the homework?" Lily asked.

"What? Oh… yeah… sure." Sev smiled vaguely, turning away from the stockings. Lily gave him a strange look, but Sev just smiled.

_~-5-~_

"Hey Lily, what do you want for Christmas?" Sev asked, about an hour later. They'd both almost finished their essays and Sev was looking at Lily curiously.

"You don't have to get me anything, Sev." Lily said, smiling at him. Sev knew she was saying that because she knew he didn't have much money. But he'd saved up, and he wanted to get her something.

"So? You can still want stuff." He pressed. Lily frowned.

"Well… I dunno, really." She said thoughtfully. "Something simple." She smiled, absent-mindedly drawing a flower on the corner of her essay.

The door of the sitting room opened and Mrs. Evans's poked her head in.

"Hey kids! Want some lunch?" She asked.

"Yes, please! Sev? Hungry?" Lily said. Sev bit his lip. He didn't like to intrude…

"Umm, actually I think I'd better be getting home…" He said uncertainly. Lily's face fell.

"Oh… Ok." She said.

"You are welcome, if you'd like to stay, Severus." Mrs. Evans said kindly.

"No, it's Ok." Sev said with a small smile. "I'll see you later, Lily."

Lily reluctantly said goodbye and Sev left. Of course, he wasn't really going home. But he'd saved up, and he wanted to get her something. So he grabbed the money out of his bag and headed for the nearest bus stop…

"_Something simple…"_

_~-5-~_

That evening, Lily was just setting the table for dinner, when the doorbell rang. She frowned, wondering who would be visiting now, and went to open the door.

It was Sev, with snow falling around him, wearing the same, thin clothes he that morning. He was smiling triumphantly, and held a brand new, fluffy red stocking in one hand. A white lily was visible, sticking out of the top of it.

"Sev!" Lily cried, bewildered. "I- what are doing there out in the cold! Get in here!" Sev smiled and stepped inside. He held the stocking out to Lily and she took it and brushed a few snowflakes off of it. "What's this?" She asked, shocked.

"It's a stocking." Sev said smugly. "With a Lily." He added. "I couldn't find one with your name on it so…"

"Sev, you didn't need to get me-"

"But I wanted to!" Sev cut her off. Lily smiled in disbelief.

"You couldn't even wait till Christmas?" She asked teasingly.

"Well if I waited till Christmas, Santa wouldn't get the chance to put any presents in there, would he?" Sev asked, grinning. Lily laughed.

"Oh, Sev." She giggled, hugging him tightly. "You're such a great friend." She whispered happily. Sev stiffened and smiled tightly… _friend_.. Why was it always just friends? Lily didn't notice his sudden discomfort. "Would you like to stay for dinner? I'm sure Mum won't mind; she always makes extra food." She said cheerfully. Sev bit his lip, just like earlier that day.

"I don't think I should. I've been away all day." He said. Lily looked unconvinced. "My mum will be worried." Sev lied. Lily frowned, but saw that she wouldn't be able to convince him.

"Well, thank you so much for the present. It's so sweet." She grinned at him and he half-heartedly grinned back. "Will I see you tomorrow?" She asked hopefully.

"Maybe." Sev mumbled. Lily's face fell for the second time that day and Sev winced. "Seeya." He muttered, turning to leave.

"Bye." Lily said quietly.

Then Snape left, trudging through the snow… alone. He wasn't sure why he'd said no to the offer of dinner; they were friends after all… Just friends. Sev sighed.

_Something simple_… Or not.

.

.

**A.N- **_Aw, I love Snape/Lily, but I just love James/Lily so much more, so I never have the heart to actually give them a happy ending :(_

_Poor Sev. Anyways, the next pairing is __**Andromeda/Ted**__. One of my favourites!_

_Review! Toff.x_


	6. Green

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter!**

25 Days of December

**Chapter Six- Green  
****Pairing: Andromeda/Ted**

_6__th__ December 1969_

Andromeda usually went home for Christmas. Not because Christmas at home was a particularly enjoyable affair. And not because of the company either (Her parents were strict and old fashioned, her older sister was barely tolerable at the best of times and her younger sister didn't talk much). It wasn't even for the food (for Andromeda doubted that any food could beat Hogwarts food). She went home for Christmas, because… well, it was home.

But this year, Andromeda wanted a change. This year was her first year of school without her older sister, who had graduated at the end of last year. This year, Andromeda was the eldest Black in the school, an authority figure for younger Blacks, a role model, the top of the food chain, the leader of the family's student members. This year, things were different.

Because this year, Andromeda Black had fallen in love… with a muggleborn.

She hadn't noticed it happening. But by the time she realized her feelings for him and hurriedly tried to shove them away, it was too late. She was already head over heels.

He was in her potions class. He was never very good at potions. Up until Andromeda's fifth year, she had known him as nothing more than the Hufflepuff who blew up his cauldron. But then she was paired with him one lesson, and she realized how nice he was, and how well they got on, and how gorgeous his eyes were. And then she asked about his family, and she found out that he was muggleborn. And there it was. Choose her family? Or choose him?

Facing that decision now was too hard for Andromeda. She was only sixteen, she told herself. It could wait. But she decided that one Christmas away from home wouldn't hurt. In fact, it would be good for her. A bit of change. Something different that she'd never done before.

As she woke up on the first day of the holidays (the 6th of December- they started a week later this year), she couldn't help but feel like this holiday would end up topping all of the past holidays she'd spent at home with her family.

She was the only female, Slytherin sixth year staying for the holidays so she had the whole dorm to herself.

She grinned at the freedom of it all, and took her time showering and getting dressed before heading down to the almost empty Great Hall for breakfast. Then, she decided to head to the library to pick up some books for holiday reading.

She found her favourite spot in the library and settled down with a book. She grinned to herself. Finally, a Christmas Holidays she might actually enjoy.

_~-6-~_

That afternoon, Ted wandered towards the library, extremely bored. Perhaps he should get to work on that potions essay. He blinked and rolled his eyes at himself. Wow, he must be bored if he was resorting to homework for fun- and potions, no less.

Ted hated potions. Actually, that wasn't true. _She_ was in his potions class.

Andromeda Black. She was the eldest Black in the school and a Slytherin. But that didn't matter to Ted. To him it was all just colours: yellow and green. It was just a house. Just because she _was_ Slytherin didn't mean she _acted_ like a Slytherin.

Or perhaps Ted was just telling himself that because he'd pretty much fallen in love with her.

He rounded a corner, into the library and wandered towards the first secluded area he saw. Except someone had beaten him to it. Ted froze at the sight of Andromeda sitting in an armchair, reading a book. Her light brown hair fell in light curls around her face and she kept blowing them away. Her warm brown eyes sped over the writing on the pages in front of her.

A part of Ted's mind was telling him to leave quickly before she noticed him and he embarrassed himself, but a bigger part told him to stay where he was. So that's what he did. He stared at her, his eyes zoning in on the Serpent emblazoned on her robes.

_It's just a colour. _He told himself.

He spotted a chair nearby and went to sit down on it, but as he did so ended up knocking it over with his foot. Andromeda's head snapped up at the noise and her eyes widened when she saw who it was.

"Oh. Hi Ted." She said in a high-pitched voice, her cheeks going pink. Ted felt his own cheeks heat up and smiled.

"Hey, Andromeda." He said. There was an awkward silence. Ted sat down in the chair next to hers, taking extra care not to knock anything over. "So, um you're spending the holidays here." He said, mentally cursing himself for stating the obvious. Andromeda smiled amusedly.

"Yeah. I wanted a change. I'm sure it'll be better here than at home." She grinned. "Bellatrix isn't the biggest believer in spreading the Christmas joy." Ted almost winced at the mention of her sister.

_Green. It's just a colour._

He smiled at her, hoping he looked at least a little amused. Andromeda stared at him, looking at his eyes, but surprisingly, this didn't make Ted as uncomfortable as he would have thought. His smile widened and he stared back at her, examining her eyes too. A light brown curl fell across her face and she blew at it subconsciously.

Almost instinctively, Ted reached out and caught the stray strand of hair, tucking it behind her ear. Andromeda's eyes widened and her lips parted slightly as he did so. Then, before Ted really knew what he was doing, he leant in and kissed her.

_~-6-~_

It happened strangely fast. One moment, Ted was tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear, and the next, his lips were on hers. After a split second of shock, she began to kiss back; all conscious thoughts seemed to have escaped her. Then he placed one hand on her cheek, and the touch seemed to bring Andromeda to her senses.

She jerked back slightly, her eyes round. Ted frowned slightly.

"We can't do this." She whispered. Ted looked hurt and she winced inwardly.

"Why not?" He asked.

"I'm a Slytherin!" She said, as if it were obvious. Her eyes were somewhat pained. Ted's eyes softened slightly.

"Does that matter?" He asked. Andromeda bit her lip.

"Well… not to me. But it should to you." She said, shrinking away from him and looking away. She could feel Ted's eyes on her. He lightly touched her shoulder.

"Andromeda?" He asked softly. She glanced at him quickly, then just as quickly looked away again. "You know, Slytherin doesn't define who you are. It's just green. Just a colour. I see you as you. Not as a colour."

Andromeda looked up at him hopefully. He smiled encouragingly. She smiled back shyly.

"Thanks." She said quietly. Ted grinned.

"No problem." He replied, reaching out and taking her hand. Andromeda looked up at him and his eyes like before. Something new registered this time though. His eye colour.

Green.

.

.

**A.N- **_Hmm, I wasn't overly keen about this chapter; I've never done Andromeda/Ted before… But I guess it was as good as planned :)_

_Next chapter- __**Sirius/OC **__(featuring Leila!) Yay!_

_Toff.x_


	7. Gold

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter!**

25 Days of December

**Chapter Seven- Gold  
****Pairing: Sirius/OC  
**_Note- this OC is from my fics 'No One Messes with a Potter' and 'No One Forgets the Marauders'_

_7__th__ December 1969_

Leila sat at the coffee table in the lounge of the one-bedroom apartment her and Sirius shared, with notes and potions ingredients spread out in front of her. She glared at the complicated instructions in front of her. Why did she decide she wanted to be a healer specializing in medicine potions again?

Oh yeah, so she could find a cure for lycanthropy. Right.

She sighed and reached for the large textbook sitting on the table. She was just about to open it when the apartment door opened and Sirius came in. He grinned at her and hung up his coat, hat, scarf and gloves before coming over to kiss her.

"Hey Beautiful." He said. Leila smiled at the familiar greeting he'd started using when they first started dating.

"Hiya." Leila replied.

"Guess what today is?" He asked, sliding to the floor to sit next to her. Leila bit her lip.

"Umm, Tuesday?" She offered teasingly. Sirius just smiled.

"No, silly. Today is the anniversary of our first kiss." He said, tapping her lightly on the nose. Leila giggled, then feigned surprise.

"Really? Wow, I completely forgot!" She said in mock bewilderment. Sirius laughed and took her hand.

"Come on, I'm taking you out!" He announced, standing up and tugging her up with him.

"Oh, no! Sirius, I can't! This has to get done by Friday!" She protested.

"No. Come on." He insisted.

"Can I at least get changed into something nicer?" She asked. Sirius paused and looked her up and down thoughtfully.

"No. What you're wearing is fine." He decided, gripping her hand tighter and disapparating.

_~-7-~_

Sirius smiled at Leila's face as they apparated to the banks of a glittering blue lake. It was where they had had their first kiss. Behind the lake was the distant form of a beautiful manor, surrounded by large, old trees. Leila turned to Sirius, her eyes wide.

"Sirius," She whispered, her eyes glittering in the setting sun. They hadn't been to the manor in almost a year. She smiled at him and he grinned back.

"I was going to bring a picnic… but I forgot." He said. Leila giggled and put her arms round his neck.

"I love you." She said fondly.

"Well I'd hope so, seeing as we're getting married in six months." He grinned. Leila laughed.

"Shut up and kiss me," She ordered. Sirius smiled and did as he was told.

They sat down together by the side of the lake and watched the sky turn a yellowy golden colour. Sirius glanced at Leila. Her electric blue eyes were fixed on the old manor in the distance. Sirius followed her gaze across the lake, which was reflecting the golden sky, and smiled.

There may be a war going on, but to him, everything was perfect. He had a family now… Leila and James and Lily and Remus and Peter. And he had a home. And he was just six months away from marrying the most beautiful woman in the world.

And now, they were happy and together, staring out over a golden lake as the sun set over the place where they'd had their first kiss, exactly one year later.

Sirius grinned. This took the phrase 'golden moment' to a whole new level.

.

.

**A.N- **_Short and Sweet. :)_

_To all 'No One Messes With A Potter' fans, this chapter is a scene in 'No One Forgets The Marauders'! _

_Hope you enjoyed this. Next couple: __**Lucias/Narcissa**_

_Review!_

_Toff.x_


	8. Silver

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter!**

25 Days of December

**Chapter Seven- Silver  
****Pairing: Lucius/Narcissa**

_8__th__ December 1978_

Narcissa had been married to Lucius for two months. And still, this was awkward.

They sat at the table, opposite each other, waiting for their house elf, Dobby, to finish placing the dishes on the table. The only sound was Dobby's nervous breathing and the soft clink of the silver dishes being placed on the table.

Narcissa glanced around. Almost all the ornaments in the room were silver. She could see her reflection in the shiny silver plate in front of her, like a mirror. She admired her blonde hair pinned elegantly with a few carefully curled strands framing her face. The hairstyle was a result of about an hour in front of the mirror that morning. After all, she didn't have much else to do. She was almost always alone, and whenever Lucius wasn't at work, he was usually in his study.

This was a large house for one person.

"Hurry up!" Lucius suddenly snapped at Dobby, Narcissa jumped a little at the sudden loud sound. Dobby began to apologize profusely before scurrying out of the room. So they began to eat. Neither of them spoke, they just ate their food with the gleaming silverware. As they ate, Narcissa watched Lucius and Lucius kept his eyes on his food.

Before they got married, he had being charming and kind to her, but the second the wedding ring had touched her finger, he had turned into this. Narcissa had hid and cried in the kitchens about a week after they got married when she saw what she'd done. She knew that it was an arranged marriage, and at first that bothered her. But then she met Lucius and he swept her of her feet. But obviously it was a scheme to get her to marry him. This was the real Lucius Malfoy.

Narcissa hated the awkward silences of dinner, surrounded by the silver ornaments and dishes and plates. She could hardly bare to think what Christmas Dinner would be like- so much more extravagant a meal than this one. But meals were the only time where she could look at Lucius, without him staring back. She hated the loneliness of her life with Lucius, but somehow, she was still in love with him. Somehow, staring at him over dinner, the rest just seemed to fade away. If he wasn't speaking, or eyeing her suspiciously, he looked like the Lucius that Narcissa met a year and a half ago.

Then he'd finish his meal and look up and stare at Narcissa expectantly until she finished hers too. And he'd be back to normal, and Narcissa would remember that she was only good for one thing: providing Lucius with an heir.

_~-8-~_

That evening, Narcissa wandered to the music room. She didn't know why they had a music room; neither of them played an instrument. But at least that meant Narcissa had a room that Lucius was guaranteed to stay out of.

She wandered over to the silver-framed mirror hanging on one wall and sighed at her reflection… Why was there so much silver in this house? As if Narcissa needed anymore reflective surfaces around her. She already knew how stupid she'd been by falling for Lucius; she didn't need to see the result everywhere she went.

Careful not to break it, she levitated the mirror off of the wall and turned it around so that her reflection was gone. Then, she sighed sadly and sat at the piano, pressing random keys down and trying to make a tune.

_~-8-~_

Lucius was sitting in his study, in front of the fireplace, his eyes closed, listening to the quiet sounds of the house. He could just make out the sound of Narcissa down the hall, wandering about.

Narcissa often wandered around the house, and usually always ended up in the music room, where she would be silent for hours on end, until she wandered to their bedroom and drifted to sleep.

Lucius didn't talk to Narcissa very much anymore. He'd done what was necessary to please his parents until they were married, then he left her to her own devices. It was probably what she wanted. Arranged marriages were frequent in pureblood families, but normally after the couple had met and formed an attraction to one another before the parents went ahead and planned the wedding.

He was sure she'd been acting with motives similar to his before the wedding. She'd secluded herself ever since the ring was put on her finger. For some reason, this saddened Lucius. He wanted Narcissa to be happy, even if the only way he could provide that happiness was by making her parents happy.

He knew Narcissa scrutinized him at meals. He often wondered what she was thinking about. He watched her too. She always went to sleep before him, so he'd watch her sleep before he slid into bed beside her. He didn't watch for long. He couldn't.

He sighed. He refused to call what he felt for his wife 'love'. Because it wasn't that. He didn't believe in 'love'. But it was true that he cared for Narcissa more than he cared for the rest of his family. As he contemplated this, he heard an unfamiliar sound.

The rather pitiful sound of piano keys being pushed down randomly. Lucius frowned, and found himself getting up and moving towards the music room to see what on earth Narcissa was doing.

She was facing away from the door, and Lucius glanced around the room. He noticed that all the silver ornaments in the room had been moved, to one corner of the room, including a large mirror, which was turned around, so that the reflective surface was facing the wall. Lucius frowned and turned his attention to Narcissa. She continued to 'play' the piano, her delicate fingers shaking slightly as she did so.

As quietly as he could, Lucius moved as close as he could without being noticed. But Narcissa had keen ears. She gasped and turned around, jerking her hands away from the piano keys. Lucius's eyes widened as he saw the tears that were visible on her cheeks.

"Lucius." Narcissa said in shock, wiping the tears away hurriedly. Lucius opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again, just staring at Narcissa in silence. Narcissa pursed her lips worriedly "Is something wrong?" She asked politely, standing up and smoothing her skirt.

"No." Lucius said quietly. Something seemed to soften in Narcissa's eyes. Lucius glanced at the silver in the corner. "Why have you moved the mirror?" He asked. Narcissa's eyes widened almost fearfully. For some reason, that bothered Lucius.

"I- I don't know." Narcissa said a touch frantically. Lucius twitched his lips slightly; it was the closest he got to a smile.

"Are you ashamed of your reflection, Narcissa?" He asked. Narcissa's mouth opened in shock.

"I-I- no! I just- I thought…" She trailed off, her cheeks turning a pale pink.

"You shouldn't be." Lucius said quietly, his eyes turning solemn. "You have a very pretty face." He said. Narcissa looked somewhat hopeful and smiled slightly.

"Thank you." She whispered. Lucius's lips twitched slightly again and stepped forward to press his lips briefly to her forehead before sweeping out of the room.

_~-8-~_

Narcissa watched Lucius leave in slight shock. She touched the spot on her forehead where he'd kissed her and smiled again. Her heart was beating unusually fast. She glanced at the mirror and hung it back on the wall. She glanced with newfound fondness at the silver frame, and saw her reflection, which looked decidedly more cheerful than before.

Narcissa would never think a word against silver again.

.

.

**A.N- **_Well this one was kind of odd. It just sort of… came out. :) I love it when stories turn out like that. I hope you enjoyed it._

_Next Pairing is a little odd, but I thought it would be interesting to write about… __**Merope Gaunt/Tom Riddle Sr.**_

_Remember to review!_

_Toff.x_


	9. Red

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter!**

25 Days of December

**Chapter Nine- Red  
****Pairing: Merope Gaunt/Tom Riddle Sr.**

_9__th__ December 1925_

Merope woke early on the late December morning and smiled at the feel of the sun shining through the window onto her face. She rolled over and her smile widened at the sight of her Tom sleeping beside her.

Her Tom.

It sounded so right. She sighed, lying and staring at his face until he woke up. He looked around, confused. He was always confused in the morning; it was a side effect of the potion. But that wouldn't last past breakfast.

She smiled at him and he smiled back; starry eyed and smitten as usual.

"Good morning, my love." He said in his usual, dreamy voice. Merope beamed at him.

"Good morning." She whispered.

"Shall I make breakfast this morning?" He asked eagerly. He asked this every day; anything to please her. Merope shook her head fondly.

"No. I shall make it." Merope said, with an almost sad smile. "In fact, I should go and make a start now." She added, getting up and stretching.

"Ok. I love you." Tom said, an adoring look on his face.

"I love you, too." Merope said, her heart warming.

Then, she hurried downstairs to her potions room. She sighed. She wished she could stop giving him the potion, that he had fallen in love with her normally. But she was afraid that if she stopped, he would leave her and she would be an outcast forever. She felt her eyes fill with tears at the thought but wiped them away quickly, and turned to the potion.

The transparent liquid was simmering quietly, just like she'd left it the previous day. She stirred it three times clockwise and then yanked one of her hairs out, dropping it into the potion. It turned an unpleasant looking blood red, just like always.

When Merope first made the potion, and saw the colour, she had been worried that it meant something bad, or that it was trying to tell her something. But she had since convinced herself that it was something to do with the heart, and love, so it couldn't really be a bad thing, could it?

She pursed her lips and scooped up a vial of the potion before going to the kitchen to mix it in with breakfast. When Tom joined her in the kitchen, she smiled absent-mindedly at him. She thought of how Christmas was coming up… she needed to get him a present. Of course he loved everything she bought him, no matter what, and always went overboard himself, desperate to show her his undying love, but Merope still wanted to get him something that she was certain he would genuinely like.

"How about we go shopping today, honey?" She suggested innocently. Tom grinned.

"Whatever you want to do, I will do too, my love." He said, gazing up at her. Merope smiled and placed his breakfast in front of him. He didn't question why his porridge was tinged a light pink colour; it was like that everyday, and he loved it that way.

"I love you." Merope sighed, longingly, just as he was about to take a mouthful. He glanced up at her, smiled, and just as Merope was convinced he was going to say 'I love you' back at the moment he was the most sober, he ate the mouthful of porridge. His eyes widened slightly and he turned to give Merope a soppy, slavish look.

"Not as much as I love you." He cooed, leaning forward to kiss her. Merope kissed back and offered a half-hearted smile as they broke apart. "Is something wrong, my darling?" Tom asked concernedly. Merope forced herself to look happier.

"Oh, no! Of course not!" She reassured him. "I'll go and get dressed ready for shopping!" She said. Tom smiled dreamily at her.

Merope climbed the stairs and smiled to herself. It was better this way, she told herself. They were happy!

But her mind couldn't help but keep remembering the ugly, blood red colour of the love potion Merope was forced to make so that her own husband would love her…

.

.

**A.N- **_So this was short aswell, but that's mostly because of the pairing. I came up with it while I was making my list of the 25 couples I planned to write about, and I thought 'I wonder if I could fit one of the Gaunts in there' so I decided to give it a try. Tell me what you think! :)_

_Next Couple is a little more normal: __**Alice/Frank**_

_Thanks for reading, Toff.x_

_P.S- __**werewolbydaymarauderbymidnite: **__Thanks for your reviews and support! I have really appreciated it! x_


End file.
